GRABBING ATTENTION WITH SNAKES AND MASSACRES

One of the keys to powerful communication is to connect emotionally with your audience. I've been communing with an expert on the subject who says graphic movie titles set a great example of how it should be done. This comes from marketing guru George Torok, a Canadian who shared star billing at the conference of the Professional Speaking Association at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. George (pictured below) has a pretty emotionally-grabby tag-line himself.       He defines himself as the person who helps business owners get an unfair advantage over the competition. George is a fan of the title "Snakes On A Plane." I should stress that it's the movie name that he's keen on - not so much the film itself. In case you missed it (I did), "Snakes On A Plane" was the 2006 action thriller in which hundreds of snakes are released on a passenger plane in an attempt to kill a trial witness.   George says we should learn from the title which he describes as unforgettable, unique, visual and emotional. He also likes the fact that it sums up exactly what the movie is about. George is also a fan of the title "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for the same reason.   It's another movie which I have avoided. But say what you like about the title, George is right. It sticks with you - and people can make an instant decision as to whether they want to see it or not. So George's advice is that when you are communicating, you must ensure you inject enough emotional punch into your headline that will both grab people and tell them what they need to know about what follows. He's perfectly relaxed about the fact that graphic titles will put some people off, because these are the people who wouldn't be interested in these kinds of movies in the first place (that's me, and quite possibly you). George suggests you apply the same principle whatever you are working on - whether it's material for your website, a self-introduction, a news release, a product, an article or your next presentation. Of course when it comes to injecting emotion, you don't have to select negative words and concepts. In fact positive emotional terms will in many cases work better for you - whether its "inspirational", "paradise", "kittens", "butterflies" or whatever. Ultimately you require a balance between emotion and factual content...but the more common error is to lean too much in the direction of dry fact. When it comes to grabbing attention, you have somewhere between five and fifteen seconds to get your audience to take notice of you. A title with emotional bite will help - and so too will balanced emotional content beyond the title.

PLANES ON A SNAKE        One of my professional speaking colleagues in the audience was equally captivated by George Torok's speech. Jackie Barrie, who speaks on "Writing Without Waffle" and is known for her succinctness, came up with her own visual take on it. It's rather surreal, but it probably has equal emotional punch - especially if you're a snake.

SUPERCHARGE YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS If you're concerned that you're not putting enough emotional dynamite into your communications, there's a master class coming up which will transform your approach. When people ask you what you do, do you sometimes fail to make an immediate memorable impact? Do you ever feel sweaty and uneasy as the focus switches to you when meeting new people? Do you struggle when asked hard-hitting questions by clients, prospects or your own colleagues? "SUPERCHARGING YOUR BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS" will leave you feeling more confident, more fascinating and more captivating. You'll be in a better position to sell yourself, your organisation and your offerings. I typically run these kinds of master classes inside companies. But on Friday 29 November there's a rare open course. It's in Central London at business premises at Queen Anne's Gate - just down the road from Buckingham Palace. (Her Majesty hasn't booked on yet - but there's still time for her to get the early bird discount.) A nearby resident yet to book... The investment cost is £260. However there's an early bird offer of £187 for bookings made before 18 October. This includes lunch and refreshments fit for queens and kings - just in case any turn up. To secure your place email michael@michaeldoddcommunications.com or call 44.7944.952835

COMMUNICATIONS-BOOSTING OPPORTUNITIES   Here are other ways to boost your communications skills... # "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATOR" - the interactive keynote to enliven your conference audience and take your people to new heights in their confidence, motivation and performance level: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php    # "TRANSFORM THE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS OF YOUR TEAM" - Tailor-made programmes run inside your company to get your people in cracking verbal form - face-to-face, through the news media and across the web: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php    # "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN TWELVE HOURS" - The communications-makeover or polishing programme for those at the top or heading that way... to take you to towards a stratospheric level of communications, confidence and image success. www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php # "SUPERCHARGE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS OVER SKYPE" - Give yourself a communications boost in a one-hour one-to-one Skype session on Friday 18 October and Thursday 29 October. The session can cover giving great answers to tough questions and/or perfecting your business introduction. Remaining slots available on both days are at 8.30am, 11am and 5pm. Investment cost is £87 a session.  Secure your slot by emailing enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com Hopefully the titles of these offerings have enough emotional punch to connect with you. But if you can see a way of adjusting the titles to add more emotion then do let me know. If you can make emotionally-charged suggestions that don't involve the words "snakes" or "chainsaw massacre" then so much the better. Keep smiling   Michael

YOUR FACE HELPS TELL THE STORY

A fascinating controversy has arisen in Britain - which says a lot about how humans communicate.   It started with a Muslim woman being told by a judge that she had to remove her face veil so the jury could be better placed to assess her innocence or guilt.   The woman is due to stand trial for allegedly intimidating a witness.   She has refused to remove her niqab and reveal her face in front of any man in court.       Judge Peter Murphy at Blackfriars Crown Court in London has said that he will offer the woman - who can't be named for legal reasons - a screen to shield her from public view while giving evidence.   However he says she has to be seen by the jury, the lawyers and himself so they can make proper judgements while she is giving evidence.   Debates over the face veil normally come down to a person's right to dress how they choose, versus whether covering women's faces for religious reasons diminishes their status in the eyes of others and themselves.   But in this case the key issue is whether humans can interpret someone with total effectiveness without seeing the face behind the words.   The issue has now cascaded into whether there should be a ban on face veils imposed on Muslim women working in the National Health Service.   The British Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt (pictured), says "Certainly if I was a patient myself, I'd want to be able to see the face of the doctor or nurse who was treating me."              The stories underline just how important facial expressions are in the communication process.   When we meet someone new we can make amazingly quick conclusions about them - and much of this is determined by their facial expression.   Your initial judgement can be made in as little as three seconds.   If you're looking at a recovering Australian journalist-turned-professional speaker, it could take even less time!   So getting your look right - and working at getting it right - really matters.

NOW ON YOUTUBE: THE CONFERENCE KEYNOTE TO BOOST YOUR TEAM        The importance of getting your facial expressions in harmony with your message is one of the things covered in a new YouTube video I've made with my colleague in the Professional Speaking Association, Nicci Roscoe. Nicci (pictured below) speaks and writes on making a fabulous impact in your business and your life - and getting the look right can be a vital part of that.     In the video we demonstrate good and bad communications practice in front of audiences - and ask those watching to identify factors which make the difference between the two.   The sessions run under the banner of "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great".   They can be booked as conference keynotes for large audiences, or as master classes for away days and training programmes.   This YouTube video focuses primarily on media interviews at three separate events - because this was what our particular audiences were primarily interested in.   We can adapt the focus to whatever your audience most requires.   For example we can demonstrate excellent - and appalling - practice and give guidance on:   # Making Powerful Business Introductions   # Doing Career-Enhancing Interviews   # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions - From Your Business Prospects   # Boosting Confidence and Positive Focus   You can check out the video here:       Click for further information about booking "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" at your event.

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOUR TEAM   Demonstrating good and bad communications practice in front of your people gets them thinking more deeply about how they come across to others. In doing this, "Making Your Team Look, Sound and Feel Great" can prevent problems before they get a chance to start. We've just had the most stunning example of what can go wrong in a team courtesy of the United Kingdom Independence Party. The anti-European Union party has been surging in the polls. But their annual party conference has just been destroyed - in the words of its leader, Nigel Farage (pictured) - because of some ill-thought out remarks and actions by a member of his team.   The miscreant who has overshadowed the party's conference is Godfrey Bloom - who, in an odd situation, is a Member of the European Parliament representing his party in an institution which he and his colleagues don't believe their country should be associated with. Mr Bloom described the female representatives at the conference as "sluts". You might agree this isn't the smartest or most reasonable thing to do - even if UKIP women don't clean behind fridges which is what Mr Bloom thinks they should be doing. Godfrey Bloom then further aggravated the situation with a TV performance which, among other sins, involved hitting a reporter over the head with a document. This was not particularly painful for the reporter - but agonising indeed for the party's supporters. Take a big breath and something soothing before seeing it all unfold:

HOW NOT TO BE THE NEXT GODFREY   If Godfrey Bloom provokes you to think about boosting the communication skills of you and your colleagues, here are some of the ways how Michael Dodd Communications can help:   # "Become An Inspirational CEO In 12 Hours" - Material on the new premium package for business leaders and those aspiring to be is at:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php    # "Protecting And Enhancing Your On-Line Reputation" - Ensuring the right things and the classiest possible material comes up about you when your name is googled:   www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/online_reputation.php    # "Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" - Including how to wow audiences with the right kind of slides: www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php   Hopefully you're in the happy position that there are no potential Godfrey Blooms in your team.   But if there are, they can be sorted.   You don't have to put a face veil on them...though sometimes this might help.   Keep smiling   Michael

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF MEDIA INTERVIEWS           These days I spend more time helping others with their media appearances rather than doing so many myself.       But I did a fairly high profile interview over the weekend with BBC News in the aftermath of the Australian elections - and so I thought it may be worth sharing with you.       This why you're getting an earlier-than-expected ezine edition today.       The interview can be viewed on the home page of my website at www.michaeldoddcommunications.com  I Or you can see it directly on YouTube here.          I always recommend those I coach in media interviews to look back forensically over their efforts - in the quest for constant self-improvement.         So in order to practice what I preach, I've done the same for myself.         It's a bit like eating your most un-favorite green vegetable...not pleasant, but good for you.         When I was a full-time political correspondent in Canberra, doing interviews on the latest situation was pretty easy - because you eat, sleep and breathe politics (not much else happens in the Australian capital!). Canberra: home of the Australian Parliament - the old Dodd stomping ground          But having been following Australian politics from a distance for some time now, doing interviews on the subject from 12,000 miles away in London is rather more challenging.               So you'll see that I made a point of trying to add in extra things which I was sure about at different times - in order to seek to lead the interviewer to asking about aspects that I was strongest on.           I think this worked pretty well.           But as ever, there are some improvement points to bare in mind for next time. KEEP LOOKING FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENT POINTS           One of them was my seating position. I recommend to interviewees that they lean a little forward to demonstrate enthusiasm - and I didn't quite practice what I preach here.           I was leaning back a bit far in the chair.           The interviewer, Chris Rogers, sets a better example - so copy him more than me in this aspect.           And if you listen carefully you may spot that at one point I got a slight frog in my throat - so having a glass of water at hand would have been a wise precaution.          Normally water is available on the table in any TV studio, but for some reason it wasn't this time.          I should have insisted on water before the interview started. I will next time!          And maybe because I had a rough throat, there was one point when describing Australian politics I said the word "rough" a couple of times too often.          So there's some refinements for the future, though my colleagues who saw the interview have been very kind.          Do let me know if you spot any additional potential improvement points that you think I've missed.           This will be good for me - like eating broccoli.    And for those who should be prepared to talk to journalists if things go wrong - or if they go amazingly right - there's more on media interview training at: http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php Media Training in action It's enormously confidence-enhancing, it can lead to the raising of your organisation's profile with all sorts of financial benefits - and is way more fun than eating green vegetables! DOING IT ON SKYPE                Skype is an amazing phenomenon - allowing us to make free video phone calls around the world with picture quality which can be remarkably good (on good days).              I've increasingly been doing one-to-one communications-boosting training sessions through Skype when face-to-face sessions aren't possible.               It works particular well where I've previously given people some face-to-face training and they need to build further on these skills afterwards - whether it's media interviews, answering tough questions from potential customers, doing impressive business introductions or inspiring presentations.             So I've set Tuesday 1 October as an open day for those wanting to get their communications skills to a higher level through Skype.             I'm offering one-hour sessions on this day for £97 including VAT - between 9am and 6pm.              If you would like to book a slot email  enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com  BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR              The next face-to-face opportunity to boost your communications skills and your confidence in an open master class is coming up.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" is a two-day learning-by-doing experience in Central London.         It covers: # Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions # Perfecting Your 60-second Elevator Pitch         A particular benefit of running it over two days is that you get the chance to try things on the first day, absorb the feedback, review your approach overnight and come back on the second day to hit the right spots.         We will work on the content of what you say, the way you structure your communications and the way you look and sound when you deliver them.          Your ability to impress, connect, sell and motivate will soar.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" runs on Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November.         The investment is £495 per place.         There's an early bird offer of £387 for bookings made before 13 September.          Your investment includes VAT, lunch on both days and refreshments.          Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to secure your place. AUSTRALIA WINS AT CRICKET - A GOB-SMACKING RESULT          As you may be vaguely aware, it's been rather tough for supporters of Australian cricket in recent times with the convincing loss (again) of The Ashes this northern hemisphere summer.           In fact Australia has been through three prime ministers since it last won a test match!            But something truly remarkable has just happened.             Australia has just won a cricket match.             And it was against England no less.             With the help of a century from captain Michael Clarke (pictured below), Australia actually defeated the hosts by 88 runs, no less.            Admittedly it was merely a one-day match, rather than a test.               But after being demoralized earlier in the summer, Australians will clutch at anything.              Can re-taking the Ashes in the next series be a real possibility?              Let me know if I'm getting carried away.              Keep smiling.               Michael

How To Do It - With Kevin Spacey

HOW KEVIN SPACEY DOES IT

   
     The digital age means there are more competing demands for our attention than ever before.

     And in my field of effective communications, this means there's a bigger challenge than ever to capture and hold your audience's attention....as you compete with evermore impressive mobile phones, ipads and even the new Samsung "smart watch" launched this week.

     So it's always nice to find someone who has the talent to fight back against the machines and grab audience attention.

     Hats off to American-actor-cum-British-theatre-manager, Kevin Spacey.
      

The Multi-Oscar Winning Kevin Spacey

     Mr Spacey - who works as the Artistic Director of London's Old Vic Theatre, along with his ongoing acting pursuits - has become the first thespian to deliver the prestigious keynote address at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

     On the basis of his performance, I would say bring on more actors to do it.

GROWING DEMAND FOR PRESENTING SKILLS      In recent times the number of master classes and one-to-one sessions I run to boost presentation skills has actually overtaken the number of media interview skills lessons.      This is because only a select group of people in an organisation is likely to appear before journalists, but anyone who wants to get on needs to be able to connect face-to-face with a live audience.      So as I work at boosting the presentation skills of business leaders and others, I've found myself on the constant look-out for examples where someone has made a highly effective presentation...without slides, without clinging to notes and without having their performance diminished by nerves.      Enter Kevin Spacey.      Now I know that actors who are practiced at learning lines and delivering them with aplomb have advantages over we mere mortals.      But Mr Spacey has provided an excellent example for us all on how a strong message, a crisply-worded and properly structured script and a superb delivery style can scintillate and persuade your audience.      You don't need too much background to get into what Kevin Spacey had to say in Edinburgh.      In hailing a new golden age of television - delivered through the computer screen - he urged television bosses to be more courageous and take more chances when it comes to giving viewers what they want.      He criticises the obsession by American TV networks for insisting on the creation of expensive pilot programmes before committing to a full series.      Mr Spacey maintains that this forces writers to establish characters and concoct arbitrary cliff-hangers in order to prove that their concept will work in just 45-minutes on screen.      He argues that in reality a much longer period of time can be required to set-up complex characters and storylines.      So he was full of praise for the internet video-streaming service Netflix which was prepared to back the American version of the BBC political thriller "House of Cards" without the need for a pilot.      Incidentally the star of the US-version turns out to be none other than Kevin Spacey himself....but this doesn't diminish the power and coherence of his case. Kevin Spacey starring in House of Cards          You can check out edited highlights of Mr Spacey's speech here:

HOW YOU CAN BE MORE LIKE KEVIN       I particularly like Kevin Spacey's dynamic-yet-conversational style which enables him to connect with his audience in the room and on-line with a complete sense of ease.             And I love the long pause fifteen seconds in which he uses to make a point about how surprised his team was that Netflix would prove to be so enlightened.          Note how he keeps his hands apart with palms open much of the time - which demonstrates mastery and an openness with nothing-to-hide.      It's also worth studying his use of numbers.      Too many numbers can over-clutter a speech and diminish its effect, but Kevin Spacey deploys his numbers with the right animation and emphasis to profoundly underpin his case.      And his key message is encapsulated with simple phrasing which is easy for him to say and easy for us to absorb:      "We have learned the lesson that the music industry didn't learn: give people what they want, when they want it, in the form they want it in, at a reasonable price, and they'll more likely pay for it rather than steal it."        This is a classic case of putting the principle "Keep It Simple Stupid" into action in a masterly way.        In my sessions on "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz", my aim is to make you more like Kevin Spacey...even if you're not an actor, even if you're not American, and even if you're not a man.       More details of "Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz" are at:       http://www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/presentation_training.php

HOW YOU CAN BE LESS LIKE ANTHONY            But not all Americans are as effective at communicating as Kevin Spacey.        Take for instance the controversial New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner who is seeking the Democratic Party nomination.         Mr Weiner has been having a challenging time with the media after admitting to what Americans call "sexting" - sending sexually explicit material to people by mobile phone.         This is not a good idea if you want to reach and remain in high office.         Mr Weiner should know this, as it was a sexting scandal - inevitably dubbed "Weinergate" - which led to his resignation as a congressman two years ago.   Anthony Weiner - would-be New York Mayor        And during his attempt to return to politics as a mayoral candidate for New York City, Mr Weiner has admitted being involved in further sexting to three women.       But would-be Mayor Weiner is nothing but versatile when it comes to courting trouble.       Yesterday, while out campaigning, he walked into a Jewish bakery in New York to take issue with a critic and became embroiled in a volatile shouting match.        You can check out the clash at:        Afterwards Mr Weiner said on Twitter that he had "stood up to a heckler...that's what mayors have to do sometimes."       Getting involved in clashes like this is generally considered bad media practice.       It's the kind of situation where you cannot win.       But in particular, if you're going to do it, don't start the conversation with your mouth full of food.        There's further information about media interviewing guidance and master classes at:           www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php         Oh and just for the record, I have not media coached Anthony Weiner.         And unless you have money you don't need, don't bet on him becoming the next New York mayor.         Keep smiling,         Michael

OUTSTANDING PREPARATION CAN SAVE YOUR CAREER

Great preparation lies at the heart of great communication.      Whether you're giving a speech, answering challenging business questions or doing a media interview, proper professional preparation is vital to success.       In case there was ever any doubt about this, a would-be Australian politician has just given the world a most dramatic lesson in the importance of doing your homework.       A few days ago 27-year-old Stephanie Banister was a candidate for Australia's One Nation party in the state of Queensland in the current election campaign.        One Nation is an anti-immigration party broadly similar to the British National Party.        Ms Banister already had obtained some publicity by being arrested for going into a supermarket and putting stickers on Nestle products saying "halal food funds terrorism".         She then did an interview with Australia's Channel 7 and - Whoopsi Daisy!!! - clearly didn't do much in the way of effective, ever-so-basic homework.             As a result Stephanie Banister literally put Islam on the map...revealing that she thought Islam was a country.        "I don't oppose Islam as a country, but I do feel that their laws should not be welcome here in Australia", Ms Banister declared.          She also made a series of other gaffs, including expressing her mistaken belief that Jews worship Jesus Christ.          With the help of mainstream media and social media her comments whizzed around the world.           Ms Banister has been given the dubious accolade of being dubbed "Australia's Sarah Palin" - after the hapless US vice-presidential candidate who, among other howlers, sought to build up her image of someone who understood Moscow-Washington relations by saying she could see Russia from her kitchen window in Alaska.           Sarah Palin never became America's vice-president.  Spot the moose! Sarah Palin with a caribou that she shot - upsetting animal lovers and her own nine-year-old daughter.              And Stephanie Banister has now quit in embarrassment as an Australian candidate.           A bit of preparation before you have an important communications moment can go along way ....from Queensland to Alaska and beyond.           This is why communications master classes work for my clients.            You get the chance to plan, prepare and practice and to be tested out in advance.            Any mistakes you make remain in the privacy of the session - not tweeted around the world in an instant.             As a result you have every reason to feel so much more confident about your speeches, your answers to questions and your media interviews.             You can check out the interview which led to Stephanie Banister's rather truncated political career here:                   BECOMING AN INSPIRATIONAL COMMUNICATOR        The next opportunity to boost your communications skills and your confidence in an open master class is coming up.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" is a two-day master class in Central London.         It covers: # Presenting with Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz # Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions # Perfecting Your 60-second Elevator Pitch         A particular benefit of running it over two days is that you get the chance to try things on the first day, absorb the feedback, review your approach overnight and come back on the second day to hit the right spots.         We work on the content of what you say, the way you structure your communications and the way you look and sound when you deliver them.          Your ability to impress, connect, sell and motivate will soar.         "Becoming An Inspirational Communicator" runs on Thursday 21 November and Friday 22 November.         It starts each day at 10am and runs to 5pm.         The investment is £495 per place.         There's an early bird offer of £387 for bookings made before 13 September.          Your investment includes VAT, lunch on both days and refreshments.          Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to secure your place. LEARNING FROM THE JUNGLE GIRL       I'm hoping the opening story of Stephanie Banister hasn't made you think Australian women can't be inspirational communicators.        They can be - even if Australia's ruling Labor Party has managed to depose the first sheila as prime minister after feeling she wasn't connecting strongly enough with the voters.        One Aussie woman who deserves the title of being an inspirational communicator is Bindi Irwin - daughter of the late crocodile hunter and conservationist, Steve Irwin.        She has heroically carried on her father's TV environmental campaigning with her captivating programme "Bindi the Jungle Girl" seen around the world.            Bindi has just had her fifteenth birthday...and unlike most teenagers chose to celebrate the occasion by talking to the media about one of the more controversial conservation issues - Zero Population Growth.          The idea of limiting the number of humans overrunning the planet is a tricky cause which can run into all kinds of religious and philosophical objections.          But Bindi remains undaunted and took the opportunity to push the issue when speaking to the media at her birthday party press conference at The Australia Zoo.              This drew more attention to her powerful Youtube essay on the topic.          Bindi talks about a friend of hers, Ruth, who died a little while back at the age of 104.          She says that in Ruth's lifetime the population of the earth went from 1.5-billion to 7-billion of us.           We are, of course, all arguably wondrous in our own way, but Bindi has spotted the dangers if we keep multiplying as we are.           In a particularly powerful analogy about the ongoing population explosion, she talks about the concept of inviting 15 friends to a birthday party - to find that 70 friends show up.           Check this out two minutes into the video:          It's interesting that Bindi has chosen to read her script from paper rather than use an autocue which, as a TV performer, she would be well used to using.          I find it more powerful when people talk in a conversational style straight to the camera...and run master classes for individuals and groups showing them how it can be done for high impact webcasts.          Nonetheless Bindi is such a splendid communicator that she somehow gets away with reading the script - and just looking up where she can.          It shows how strong arguments and a well-thought-out script can be highly powerful - even without perfect delivery.  MUSIC FROM THE BLUE DANUBE             When you think about The Blue Danube meandering its way through Austria, you may well have the famous waltz of Johann Strauss come into your mind.             But the river provided the backdrop for a much wider variety of performances at the thirtieth Danube Island Music Festival - with offerings of pop, rock, soul, jazz, blues, hip hop and hard rock as well as oompa music accompanied by knickerbocker-wearing, thigh-slapping locals.                However, when I had the good fortune to be working in Vienna, and staying in a hotel just up from the festival, I spotted one musical act which had much more far-distant origins.             Not only was it from a more ancient tradition than the others, but the two didgeridoo players didn't even mind if one of their countrymen joined in the fun.   Photo credit: Nick Shaw           No prizes for spotting the imposter.         I think it's fair to say the Blue Danube has never witnessed a scene like it.         However I'm not so sure if Johann Strauss would be deeply impressed by the musical quality of the third man.         Keep smiling,         Michael

LESSONS FROM THE SWAT VALLEY

A LESSON IN SPEECHMAKING AND COURAGE   The world has just received an unforgettable lesson from a sixteen-year-old - in both speechmaking and in courage. Malala Yousafzai was already a great communicator and already a heroine when she stepped onto her school bus in Pakistan's conflict-riven Swat Valley last October. She had become internationally famous for running her campaign to combat the Taliban's insane drive to prevent education for girls. She was already the youngest ever nominee for a Nobel peace prize. But when the Taliban sent what most be the must be the most inept assassin of all time to silence both her and her campaign, they not only failed spectacularly. They managed to propel Malala's status as a heroine and superstar to stratospheric heights. After the attack Malala came to Britain for a multiplicity of life-saving operations involving a titanium plate in her forehead and an implant in her ear. She has since left hospital and resumed her campaign for female education at a level which must give anyone afraid of women - such as the Taliban - the worst of nightmares. So it was fitting that Malala celebrated both her recovery and her sixteenth birthday, not with the conventional wild teenage party, but with a speech to the United Nations in New York.  Malala speaking at the UN

GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS - WITH SIMPLICITY AND POWER  Apart from Malala's obvious rare courage and determination, there are several ways that her UN speech is to be admired from a performance perspective. And we don't have to have the world as our audience in order to pick up invaluable tips from her presentation skills. For a start she had a clear message...something that all speeches need, but many lack. Malala's message was that education is not the problem which the Taliban fear - it's the solution. She didn't want to retaliate against the Taliban with the same crude kind of weapon they used on her. Malala said that even if she had a gun in her hand and the Taliban representative who shot her was standing in front of her she wouldn't pull the trigger. I believe her. Instead Malala declared: "Education is the only solution." And she wrapped up her message in a powerful image with the simplest of wording: "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world". Many are fearful about giving a talk to a small number of people in their own company or to a panel of prospective buyers. Malala addressed international leaders and the world beyond with a calm inner confidence based on the quiet unpretentious certainty which underpins the wisdom of her approach. And rather than dwell on her own troubles and pain, Malala focused her attention on the challenges of others. It was all done with an overwhelming positivity. Malala spoke slowly with confidence, clarity and courage. The couple of times she made a teensy verbal slip she kept cool and then came up with the correct version. Check out Malala's style:    BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN TWELVE HOURS I work with a lot of chief executives - en mass in business leaders groups and individually. While they naturally have a wide range of personality types, there are a couple of things they tend to share. Most of them tend to be quick, ambitious learners. And they have the kind of brains that can keep across a wide range of things simultaneously. One thing a lot of them are not so good is communicating in a clear, confident and inspiring way. Up until recently the one-to-one work I do with chief executives has tended to be rather ad hoc. I typically come in and work with them for a specific speech they have to make or a particular set of questions they have to face in the media or from their clients, prospects, shareholders, suppliers or staff. But over the past week several chief executives, in the space of 24 hours, pushed me to design a more comprehensive programme to help chief executives rapidly boost their communications skills in a short period. So I have listened and acted. I'm now offering a new one-to-one programme for company leaders: "BECOME AN INSPIRATIONAL CEO IN 12 HOURS" I know it's possible to achieve this because when I've worked with company bosses on their communication skills in a concentrated way over several sessions they've made mindblowing progress. And I know that for many company leaders, being more inspiring communicators is desperately necessary. The business guru who once transformed the fortunes of Ford and Chrysler was right. "You can have brilliant ideas," Lee Iacocca declared. "But if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere."   So the new programme - completed in three half-day sessions - will equip you with the following: # Supercharge your conversations skills so that you are consistently inspiring people rather than deflating them # Boost your business introductions in formal and informal situations # Empower you to give great answers to tough questions # Make presentations with confidence, impact and pizzazz (and if you want to use slides, deploy them in a way that enlivens audiences rather than sending them to sleep!!!) # Allow yourself to handle the media with aplomb when things go wrong # Give you the skills to win free media publicity when things are going right # Talk to the camera in webcasts and video conferences in a way that enhances your message, your offer and your image. Becoming an inspirational CEO is the kind of thing business leaders can focus on over summer when the pressure to perform may less than at other times of the year. Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for more details.  SURPRISES FROM THE BLUE DANUBE  This is the part of the ezine where I say "Gross Gott" .........which means "G'day" in southern Germany and Austria. I've been saying "Gross Gott" a lot lately. As you read this I'm running pitching skills sessions in the magnificent Bavarian city of Munich on behalf of the dynamic international company, Bladonmore, which specialises in communicating knowledge. Munich ....where they don't talk much cricket (I've also come here to avoid having to take part in discussions over the First Test with English friends who have yet to acknowledge that if Stuart Broad had done the honourable thing and walked on Day 4 when he was clearly out the result would have been rather different!!!....But far from wishing to be portrayed as a Whinging Aussie - yes they do exist - let me say in my quietest voice: Well played England.) Meanwhile a few weeks ago Bladonmore sent me on a mission to The Austrian capital Vienna, which is also a pretty magnificent place with little discussion on inside edges or silly mid-on. I was particularly fortunate to be working there at the time of the Donau Insel Fest. This is the annual free music festival which takes place on the Danube Island...otherwise known as Europe's biggest free party.       The festival's a bit like Glastonbury but with less mud, a wider range of musical genres and strange collections of local men dancing in lederhosen baring their knobbly knees...Austria's answer to The Rolling Stones. It attracted over three million visitors with a mix of hip hop, house, soul, jazz, traditional Austrian oompah bands and didgeridoo. Yes, you read that correctly. On the banks of the Blue Danube there were indeed two Aussie didge players.....joined at one stage by my good self. Owing to a technical hitch you'll have to wait until the next ezine comes out before you see the stunning visual images which resulted.....the like of which The Blue Danube has never witnessed. Hope you can hold back. Auf Wiedersehen, Michael